"Luffy, looks like there's been a little change in the plan."
According to Roman's original plan, with so many powerful fighters just below the top tier gathered together, there was no way they should lose to Kaido. But then, Kaido suddenly went all out in a desperate burst of strength... While this made sense in the world they lived in, for a strategist like Roman, it was nothing short of frustrating.
"Hehehe, this is fine."
Facing Kaido, who was soaring through the sky, riding the wind and lightning, stepping on clouds, and breathing fire, a bloodied Luffy pressed down on his straw hat and grinned with confidence.
"When we first stepped into Wano, we never expected to have so many friends by our side. Roman, you've already done a great job. Now—"
Clap! Their fists met.
"All that's left is to send Kaido flying."
"Luffy's right."
Ace, his body covered in Armament Haki and Conqueror's Haki crackling around his fists, stood beside Luffy. This time, he wouldn't fall. And he would never let Luffy go through that pain again.
"Still, I had no idea Kaido had this kind of move."
Yamato, still in her hybrid beast form, furrowed her brows slightly. Thanks to her Mythical Zoan Dog-Dog Fruit, Model: Okuchi-no-Makami, she had the power to control ice, along with the incredible endurance and resilience of a Zoan user. Compared to Luffy and Ace, she was in much better shape.
"Forget that for now—Nami!"
With a sharp sound, the towering Omni Knight split into two separate forms—Diamond Knight and Gem Princess. These were actually upgraded versions of The White Knight and the special armor Roman had designed for Nami.
With the added protection of a barrier shield, Roman and Nami were the only ones left completely unharmed after Kaido's brutal "Rain of Slashes" attack.
"Huh? Roman…"
Because of Nami's presence, Kaido had stopped using large-scale disaster-based attacks, opting instead for close combat and instant strikes. As a result, Nami had gradually taken on a support role.
Support was still important—but right now, there was something even more urgent.
"Nami, get the injured out of here first."
Unlike Kaido, who didn't care how many of his own subordinates got caught in his attacks, the Straw Hat Crew wasn't that ruthless.
Kaido's earlier "Sanzu Burial Izumi" attack had been aimed at Roman, Luffy, Ace, and Yamato, but it had also flattened the entire Onigashima in the process!
The warriors of Wano, the Whitebeard Pirates, even members of the Beasts Pirates—countless people were caught in the blast and sent flying.
And now, Onigashima was floating thousands of meters above Wano.
Sure, the battlefield was full of powerful swordsmen and pirates with bounties over 100 million, but falling from this height—especially while injured—would mean certain death or at least crippling injuries.
Even those who hadn't been blown away—like the Red Scabbards, the outlaws, and the wounded commanders—had no place in this deadly battlefield anymore.
"Got it."
Nami nodded. There was no time to hesitate.
Her armor, "Gem Princess," with its jewel-adorned gown, carried her toward Hiyori. She quickly gathered allies and began rescuing those who had been crushed in the chaos.
Once they reached the island's edge—
"Paper Dance: Boeing 757!"
Using Roman's ability, a fleet of massive paper planes took shape, carrying the injured down to safety.
Since energy wasn't a concern, each trip could carry thousands at once!
Kaido, still hovering in the sky, glanced at the evacuation but quickly shifted his focus to the four standing below.
"It doesn't matter how many of those small fry survive—but you four—"
Before he could finish, his killing intent locked onto the one with the most tricks up his sleeve—Roman!
First, I'll take care of this annoying brat—
With that decision made, the massive dragon swooped downward, transforming into his half-dragon form.
His spiked club, wrapped in black Haki and filled with overwhelming killing intent, tore through the wind and clouds! It roared like a dragon, growled like a beast, stirring up a storm over miles, fusing with countless bolts of lightning to form a massive, pitch-black dragon that lunged at Roman with unstoppable force.
"Destruction Strike!"
As the club came crashing down, it was as if a dragon was soaring across the seas, its power stretching endlessly! This attack—its strength, precision, and Haki—was at the peak of physical combat in this world. Unless legends like Roger, Whitebeard, or Rocks returned from the dead, no other warrior would dare to face this head-on!
"Danger—!"
As the terrifying attack descended, Roman felt the massive black dragon growing larger and larger, until it became the only thing in existence! Kaido seemed to vanish completely—Roman could no longer sense his presence, as if he were powerless to do anything but watch the enormous black dragon devour both him and the island below.
He knew exactly what this meant—Kaido's Haki had completely overpowered his own, crushing his spirit and creating an illusion. It was the same effect weaker fighters had experienced when facing the top members of the Straw Hat Crew.
Like hell I'll accept this!!
In the next instant, a surge of anger exploded from within Roman. He had actually been paralyzed by fear—
Me? Afraid of him?!
External Armament Haki: "Seven-Layer Defensive Ring!"
This was the signature technique of "Black Arm" Zephyr. Roman's entire body trembled as he unleashed his Armament Haki outward, forming layers of golden energy that expanded in all directions. Deep, vast, and incredibly flexible, the Haki spread out in arcs, creating a barrier around him.
The moment Kaido's club, crackling with black lightning, struck the barrier, the flexible Haki rippled like waves. It absorbed and deflected the impact layer by layer, gradually dissolving Kaido's devastating attack.
Using softness to counter strength—it sounded simple, but Kaido's strike carried not only advanced Armament Haki but also Conqueror's Haki. It wasn't something that could be easily neutralized! Even though Roman's "Seven-Layer Defensive Ring" had the flexibility of the ocean and the resilience of steel, each layer comparable to the defenses of a military fortress, it could only cancel out about a third of the impact. The remaining force was still incredibly destructive and unstoppable!
But—
"Multiply-Multiply: 80x Compressed Haki Sword!"
Under immense pressure, Roman poured everything into compressing his Haki onto his longsword, then swung it straight at Kaido's incoming club—
CRACK-CRACK-CRACK!!
In an instant, an explosion erupted louder than thunder, more violent than a tsunami crashing against mountains! A devastating shockwave burst from the clash of sword and club, sending ripples through the air.
Even space itself fractured, black lightning-like cracks radiating outward. Time twisted chaotically within the impact zone—speeding up, slowing down, freezing, skipping—distorted by the sheer force of their Haki!
However, this lasted for less than a tenth of a second.
In a battle of willpower, Roman refused to back down! But physically, he couldn't match Kaido's monstrous endurance. The Paper-Paper Fruit's enhancements couldn't compare to the Mythical Zoan Fish-Fish Fruit, Azure Dragon form.
And so—
WHOOSH—
"Roman!!"
As Luffy's urgent shout echoed through the battlefield, Roman—now in his "Gem Knight" form—was sent flying like a missile. He streaked through the air, leaving behind a trail of dust, before crashing into a pile of rubble hundreds of meters away. The impact was so forceful it sounded like a bomb going off!
Damn… What a monster…
Roman had spent the last two years training relentlessly, wasting not a single moment. He had been personally mentored by top fighters like Garp, Sengoku, and even Akainu. He had believed the gap between himself and the strongest warriors had narrowed significantly.
And yet—
CRACK.
He stood up from the wreckage, frowning as he glanced at his shattered armor. His arms, exposed beneath the broken plating, were so numb he could barely feel them. If not for the fact that most of the impact had been absorbed by his now-destroyed diamond armor, he might have wondered if his arms had been blown clean off.
"This is insane… So this is the world's strongest creature?"
Life Return: Paper Physique!
Roman's hands trembled as layers of dark red "something" flaked off his arms—damaged muscle, shattered bone, and dead skin, destroyed by Kaido's Haki. Using Life Return, he expelled the useless remains, while his "Blood Paper" transferred life force to rapidly regenerate his arms.
Flexing his fingers, he watched as fresh sheets of diamond-infused paper wrapped around his arms, forming new armor. Reaching out, he summoned his longsword, which had been blasted away earlier. Though it was just a regular weapon, after being infused with Roman's Armament Haki for so long, it had already reached the level of a Great Grade blade.
WHOOSH—!
"Roman! Thank goodness you're okay!"
"Relax, I'm not going down that easily."
As Roman charged back into battle, swinging his sword once more, Kaido's sudden surge in power had left them all struggling to keep up.
But—
"Today, right here—"
Yamato, covered in wounds, swung her kanabo once more.
"I'm ending this fate between us!"
"I will never lose!"
Facing Kaido's swinging spiked club, Luffy covered his arms with two layers of Haki and clashed head-on! Blunt weapons were already 80% less effective against his rubber body, and besides—
"As long as my friends, my brother, and everyone else are here, I will never fall!!"
"That's right!"
Despite his body being covered in wounds, Ace showed no sign of exhaustion.
"Because I refuse to collapse in front of my little brother a second time—never!!"
"After this fight… *cough cough*…"
Roman almost blurted out a famous death flag but couldn't think of anything cool to say, so he simply shouted—
"Beat him up!"
Though their bodies were battered and bruised, the fire in their hearts burned even brighter.
The four young warriors surged forward, launching another assault on the world's strongest creature.
"Come on! This might not be the best battlefield, but I'm more than satisfied having you as my opponents!"
"It's been a long time since I've felt this fired up—!"
Kaido, in his massive blue dragon form, coiled in the air, his mouth full of sharp teeth stretching into a twisted "smile."
"Humans… they just won't give up hope… No, it's that they *can't* give up!"
Not just those four brats—
But himself, too!
"Let's keep fighting—!"
As the four figures leaped into battle once more, a violent storm of Haki swept across Onigashima! (End of chapter)
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